Last summer Reuel, "Ru" Belt spent July and August in Boston, Mass. filming Crooked Arrows.

It was the opportunity of a lifetime. He was selected from thousands of extras during a local casting call by famed casting director Mark Ellis of Sports Studio Casting (Dark Knight Rises, Invincible, Any Given Sunday) to work alongside some of Hollywood’s hottest actors and producers: Brandon Routh (Superman Returns, Chuck), Gil Birmingham (Twilight Saga), J. Todd Harris (The Kids are All Right, Family Tree), and Mitchell Peck (Priest 3D, BioDome).

Belt jumped at the chance to take part in a film highlighting the origins of the game he has played, coached and cherished for over 20 years.

“This was a once in a lifetime chance to honor the game, and a way for me to give back to all my [lacrosse] coaches Gallant, Thelan, Zopp, Duncan, Cantebene, Fleury, and Carey,” he says. “They sacrificed so much and taught me about the Creator's Game. My involvement with this project is really a testament to their coaching.”

Belt's was a 2004 National Junior College Lacrosse Champion while playing offense for Essex Community College. He appears in the film completing principal stunts and appears briefly in the official trailer taking a hit from an opponent. Belt's passion for lacrosse and commitment to assisting the cast and crew of Crooked Arrows led him to additional work with the producers to assist and coordinate many of the behind-scenes player interviews, which have been used in conjunction with both the teaser and sizzle reels during post production marketing for the film.

Prior to committing to a ful- time career in the entertainment industry, Belt was an assistant to Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler. Before that, Belt was a fundraising and non-profit executive for Baltimore's Charm City Youth Lacrosse League, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and Johns Hopkins University and Hospital.

Serious about rekindling his acting roots, (which he developed at an early age at Calvert School in Maryland; also attended by director and artist John Waters and 'Modern Family' award-winning actress Julie Bowden), Belt returned to Stevenson University, a local DIII lacrosse powerhouse, to study in 2012.

Belt successfully completed theatre coursework with Bruce Nelson (a Helen Hayes Award winner) and Sally Harris (former Chair of Stevenson’s Theatre/Video program), which focused on improvisational theatre and acting so that Belt could continue to hone his craft and improve his improv abilities.

Since Crooked Arrows wrapped, Belt has remained busy. He has filmed three independent films that are currently being submitted to various festivals. The first film is Roses, a romantic tale directed by Chantal Costen (Made for TV Productions) in which Belt was a co-star. Roses was recently accepted into the International Cannes Film Festival — Short category.

His next film, Chasing Refuge written and directed by local film-maker Krystian Ramlogan (Multidiasporic Films), marks Belt's first acting lead in a SAG production. Chasing Refuge will be released to the film festivals later this year.

Finally, Belt appeared in Mysterious Prison, an introspective story by David Ashton. Mysterious Prison explores the treatment and neglect of homeless men and women in Washington, D.C.

Belt is currently working with Maryland local talent agent and acting coach Betsy Royall to receive guidance as he develops as an artist. Through his work with local casting giant Central Casting, Belt was provided with the opportunity to work on David Fincher's House of Cards', starring Kevin Spacey and Kate Mara. Some of Belt's most defining moments from that experience were receiving first hand tips from the Academy-Award winning Spacey.

In the interim, Belt has eagerly jumped at the opportunity to work in the challenging worlds of casting and production. Most recently, Belt scouted locations for Chef Gordan Ramsay's “Kitchen Nightmares,” History Channel's “Men Who Built America,” Jon Taffer's “Bar Rescue,” and most recently as a talent scout and recruiter for Queen Latifah and the CW's “Star Next Door.”

“Performing allows me to focus all of my strengths to create characters and tell important stories about relationships and the human condition,” Belt says. “Growing up the youngest in a single mother household in inner-city Baltimore, I am just blessed to have received so many defining moments and opportunities in such a short time span. I have literally been able to work with and learn from some of the best people [in entertainment].”
Connect with Reuel - @Ru_ality|Facebook

Join the Tribe and see Crooked Arrows in a theatre near you on May 18.